In Brief

The Challenge

According to research carried out by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, an estimated 64,000 people are living with dementia in Ireland. Despite a number of lifestyle and genetic risk factors, increasing age remains the strongest risk factor for dementia, with prevalence rates nearly doubling every five years over the age of 65. There is an acute need, which digital health technologies can potentially fulfil, to provide proactive support for people living with dementia and their carers. However, there is limited involvement of people with dementia in the design of technology that could be used to support their personal plans for independent living at home. 

The Solution

Our premise is that people living with dementia should be at the centre of decision-making regarding care, with a shift towards active and empowered self-management facilitated by appropriately designed technology. 

This project aims to co-design and co-create a holistic digital health and well-being platform with and for people with dementia to provide enhanced dementia self-management support. The platform will integrate a visual personalised care plan for people living with dementia, provide timely access to services and supports when required, tailored to the specific needs of a person living with dementia and their carers, to support them to live independently in their own homes.  

To develop the platform, we will involve key stakeholders - persons living with dementia, their formal and informal carers, dementia support services and decision makers. The solution will overcome current barriers and gaps in dementia health and well-being services including a lack of formal techniques for modelling dementia care plans for home-based care, absence of digital support for self-customisation of personal dementia care plans, lack of support for persons living with dementia who have other chronic conditions and poor understanding of informal dementia carer requirements including support in the form of information and education about dementia and how to provide care to people living with dementia, as well as support for their own health and well-being. 

The Team 

  • Team Lead: Dr Dympna O’Sullivan, TU Dublin  
  • Team Co-Lead: Dr Julie Doyle, Dundalk Institute of Technology  

Societal Impact Champion  

  • Siobhán O’Neill, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda